Up, Down, Through, and Sideways
by The Music Woman
Summary: Written unofficially for 10 whores on Live Journal, featuring ten Charlie Cowell pairings! Third: Charlie/Mrs. Squires
1. July 23rd

**Title: July 23rd**

**Author: The Music Woman**

**Fandom: The Music Man**

**Pairing: Charlie/Unnamed Townswoman**

**Rating: T**

**Theme: a midsummer night**

**Warning: Charlie stalker**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Music Man, the late, amazing Meredith Willson does. RIP, musical genius.**

**Summary: **

On the night of July 23rd, I was standing in the park. I know this already doesn't sound too very exciting, but please let me tell the only thing that ever happened to me that was memorable. I am and always will be a citizen in River City, Iowa, and that is where our story takes place.

The year was 1912 and it was a pleasant, warm night, as we watched our mayor's wife and her friends dance, if you could call it dancing. We were all looking forward to hearing the young boys perform in the band that Harold Hill had formed. I myself had a nephew in the band and was particularly looking forward to how happy his parents would be.

"And a fountain! Trickle, trickle, trickle, tri-"

"Stop! Stop!" Mayor Shinn, who had been noticeably absent, shouted running towards us, a stranger in tow. "Listen to this man!"

"You gullible green grass goats! Can't you get it through your head that you're being swindled out of your eye teeth right now?" Everyone gasped and looked around at each other, hoping that someone would have some sort of explanation for what this man was talking about.

He continued shouting, "There's a burglar in the bedroom while you're fiddling in the parlor! I'm talking about Harold Hill!" Another gasp. "Road agent! Highway man! Pickpocket!"

"Pickpocket?"

"Same thing! He's had his hand in your wallet, mister! And yours, ma'am!" At this, he pointed to me and for a brief second we locked eyes, and I can still recall the exact shade of blue they were, can still recall that they were the best eyes ever. "And yours, little lady, ever since he came to this town! There's more documented evidence then you'll have time to read!"

By now, people were started to get angry. Marian Paroo was frantic, trying to convince us that this strange man was lying, but no one was even paying the slightest bit of attention to her.

"There isn't any band, there never was any band, and there never will be any band! And if you don't hunt him down like a mad dog, there won't be any Harold Hill either!"

"Well," I said, more saying this to agree with this man than anything, "what are we waiting for?"

"I want my money back!"

"Money back? I want his hide!"

"After him!" Mayor Shinn cried. "And when you find him, bring him back to the schoolhouse!"

So, in a frenzy, we all took off running, on the search for Harold Hill.

~X~

There we were, back in Madison Gymnasium, seated in the exact same position that we had been in when Harold Hill had first reeled us in, except for one difference: Charlie Cowell was seated beside me, waiting for the tarring and feathering to come.

After he and the constable had burst in with the conman, I had politely asked for his name, despite the fact that it was not the time nor the place.

He looked taken aback and confused after my question. "Uh…Charlie Cowell," he replied, probably thinking that I was an insane asylum escapee.

"Ah," I said, not quite sure if I was sane myself. "My name is-"

"I should think there ought to be some of your who could forget our ever lasting Iowa Stubborn chip-on-the-shoulder arrogance long enough to remember River City _before_ Harold Hill arrived!" Marian burst out, standing up.

Next to me, Charlie let out an exasperated sigh. Obviously he and Miss Paroo were already acquainted, but asking would only achieve making me look even more crazy and there was something about him that made me want to seem like a perfectly normal River City-zien.

Yes, there was definitely something about him. Just sitting next to him was causing her brain to send odd messages to the rest of her body, causing her heart to beat much faster than normal, her face to feel much warmer than usual, and for a strange dizziness to overtake her, all of these symptoms only intensifying whenever they happened to briefly touch.

Marian continued to testify in defense of the man who had taken money from many people, my older sister included.

"You're wasting a great deal of time! If there is anyone in this room who does not believe that this man should be tarred and feathered, let him stand!"

A silence descended over us. Who would be the first to stand? Would anyone even stand? All of the sudden, Mrs. Paroo stood up and a gasp that was shared by everyone filled to air. But, of course she would stand. She had to support her own daughter, even if she had been robbed, even if her son's heart had been broken.

Zaneeta Shinn was the second to stand, which was a shock to everyone. She would defy her own father? When the school board stood up, then their wives, Ethel, and Marcellus, it became evident that despite everything, these people still had faith in Hill. Marian did have a point…would it really hurt anyone if I…

More people began to stand and I couldn't help but join my older sister and brother-in-law, who sort of tugged on my sleeve. After all, who would it hurt? Now only Mrs. Shinn remained seated, looking greatly torn. Finally she stood up proudly.

"Eulalie," she turned, looking defiant, "sit down!" She sat down, looking shamed, but everyone turned to look at her expectantly. She hopped back up, a confident smirk on her face. Charlie groaned and I remembered him, wishing I had stayed seated.

"And as for the rest of you, standing there like a coat of shrop shire sheep, have you forgotten how you paid for expensive uniforms, technical instruction booklets, and high-priced band instruments?" Everyone slowly began to sit down, me being one of the first. "Have you forgotten the clear understanding and warranty that your children would be taught to play in a band? Well, where's the band? Where's the band?!"

A sharp whistle pierced the air and suddenly, in marched the band! They were lead by Tommy Djilas, and my nephew! He was there, along with little Winthrop Paroo and Barney Hix! And Eddy and Linus and all the little boys in town! Could it be that Charlie was wrong?

I glanced at him and saw that a look of shock was on his face, which soon morphed into a smile as Harold Hill prepared to lead the band. And then they began to play the most mangled, most terrible version of the Minuet in G I had ever heard in my life and he let out a small laugh as everyone in the room gasped.

However terrible it was, though, I was so proud of my nephew!

Charlie's smile vanished as Alma Hix jumped up and pointed. "Barney! That's my Barney!"

"Eddy, there's Eddy!"

"Play to me, son, play to me!"

Everyone began to applaud, even me, and as the mayor went to shake hands with Hill, Charlie jumped up, furious, and stomped off. I don't know what overtook me, but I turned and followed him. I couldn't help it, no one had made me feel like he had just by sitting near me. I wanted to get to know him, I wanted the chance to fall in love with him.

However, as I saw him angrily head to the train station, I knew it was useless. I had made my choice; I had sided with Harold Hill. And so, on that midsummer night, I let Charlie Cowell walk away from me and never met anyone like him again.

**A/N: Okay, so they haven't approved my request yet. I don't really care, though, I'm writing anyway. Also, they said no OCs allowed, but it is a fact that there was an unnamed townswoman in The Music Man, so technically, I'm not breaking any rules by writing this. Oh, and I'm proud to say that I was in this scene, so I needed no references for the dialogue.**


	2. Dreamy Eyed

**Title: Dream Eyed**

**Author: The Music Woman**

**Fandom: The Music Man**

**Pairing: Charlie/Ethel**

**Rating: T**

**Theme: head in the clouds**

**Warning: Pointless crack**

**Disclaimer: I don't own this musical. I do own some poorly written ones, though.**

**Summary: Ethel Tofflemier had her head in the clouds.**

Ethel Tofflemier had her head in the clouds. She was dreamy eyed and young, with most of her life ahead of her. She had a great fiancé, a great future, she was happy.

Charlie Cowell had his feet firmly planted on the ground. After all, he couldn't let himself get swept away in some fantasy when he knew he was stuck the way he was, always traveling, making little money.

Ethel could dream because she felt that she was free. She didn't feel the restrictions that were there. She was stuck as well, stuck in the small town life with the gossipy friends. She would never leave, she would always be the person she was.

He, too, was stuck, but he could not dream because he was aware of his restrictions. He knew that he was not free, knew that he would never be free, never. He knew exactly who he was and how long he would be that, which was and always would be forever.

They were both so vastly different, yet so scarily similar. He hates her for being what he can't, he loves her for dreaming. She hates him for interrupting her perfect life, loves him for letting her have just one night of unfaithfulness. One night not being bound to the lives they both would always have.

One night…

**A/N: I don't know what to think of this, I just wanted to write something for this collection again. I have some ridiculous pairings in store, but that's kind of obvious.**


	3. Janie

**Title: **Janie

**Author: **The Music Woman

**Fandom: **The Music Man

**Pairing: **Charlie/Mrs. Squires

**Rating: **T

**Theme: **Without A Name

**Warning: **Immense amounts of crack, as always.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own the musical or characters, the amazing Meredith Willson, RIP, does. But sometimes I wish I owned Charlie cos he's pretty awesome.

**Summary: **No one calls her by her first, barely anyone even knows it, but he says it every time, just for her.

Her name is Janie Squires, but few people in the small town of River City knows this. To them, she's just Mrs. Squires, wife of the Jacey on the school board, friend of Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn, mother of some nobody girl who wasn't much to pay attention to (the apple never falls far from the tree).

Those who did know her name rarely called her by it. To Eulalie, Maud, Alma, Ethel, Marian, and their husbands, she was Mrs. Squires. To the young people of the town, she was Mrs. Squires. To little Jennifer, she was mother. Her husband, though rarely home, preferring working or singing with his former enemies, would call her by Janie, but was their relationship worth anything anymore?

Gone all day and barely attentive to her when he was home, was that really a satisfactory marriage? Is it any wonder she found comfort in the arms of Charlie Cowell?

He was an honest, hardworking man who despised any and all dishonesty, yet he didn't say a word as they lay alone together, without her husband's knowledge. Somehow, the crimes of himself and his lover never registered in his mind as wrong.

She loved him. She didn't know why she had fallen for him or how it had ever come to this, but there they were, together once more. It was a Tuesday; that was one of their best days. Jacey was out all day, Jennifer had school, and the other ladies all had things to attend to. It was just the two of them, for hours on end.

"Charlie," she murmured, "I love you…"

"I know, Janie…" He didn't need to say that he loved her again. He reminded her more in his actions and the fact that he called her by his name. Every time, just for her, he'd call her Janie and it meant the world to her.

**A/N: Holy freaking crap, she's here! I'm not even still on this account, but I thought I'd update anyway, just for the heck of it. So, you might just see some more of these, if I get inspired again.**


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